Lecture 13 (April 10).docx

Lecture 13 (Wednesday, April 10, 2013) – Life After Death?
Key Aspects
­ Rebirth is most persistent image of afterlife
­ People differ in their interpretations of the afterlife as either literal or metaphorical
­ A dualistic philosophy is associated with most afterlife beliefs
­ The “conversation theme” has often been a powerful influence on survival beliefs
­ The final exam theme is common but not universal
Early Survival Beliefs of Abrahamic Religions
­ I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their
generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will
give to you, the land where you are now an alien, all the land of Canaan, for a perpetual holding; and I
will be their God (Genesis 17:7­8)
­ As the cloud fades and vanishes, so those who go down to Sheol do not come up. (Job 7:9)
­ Before I go, never to return, to the land of gloom and deep darkness, the land of gloom and chaos,
where light is like darkness (Job 10:21­22)
­ Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame
and everlasting contempt (Daniel 12:2)
Abrahamic Religious Traditions
­ Linear picture of human history
Western Culture
­ Single life
­ Predominant viewpoint
­ Soul survives death in disembodied state
­ Judgment
­ Some time in future, soul will be judged
­ Hell/heaven
­ Aftermath will be hellish torment or heavenly bliss
­ Today despite the question of unbelief, most people in the U.S. believe in God and 80% believe in an
afterlife
1 Lecture 13 (Wednesday, April 10, 2013) – Life After Death?
­ Union with God, peace and tranquility, and reunion with relatives are what they think the afterlife
entails
­ In an undergraduate study, more than 90% believe that one is reunited with family and friends when
they die, 90% believe that the thought of an afterlife is comforting and the transition is peaceful
­ Despite modern ideas, still have a religious basis for beliefs
­ Religious ideas tend to play a role in both personal and social thought
Near Death Experience (NDE)
­ Stories of travels to other worlds have been found in all cultures (shaman, prophets, kings, mortals)
Example ▯heavenly ascent of Prophet Muhammad
­ Carol Zaleski describes three otherworld journeys
­ The common thread is a story or a narrative which is shaped by the experiences of a culture
­ Belief in a historic life was based on religious experience
­ Today NDEs are profoundly psychological events with transcending and mystical events usually with
those close to death or with physical danger
­ Raymond Moody ▯coined the term NDE
Through the Wormhole (Short Film)
­ Our souls are built from something more fundamental than neurons, they are constructed from the
very fabric of the universe
­ Consciousness has been here since the big bang (relates to Buddhist and Hindu beliefs)
­ If consciousness is a quantum process, it may solve the mystery of what happens during NDEs
­ Many scientists find it difficult to believe that the soul is a quantum computer
­ The body is just a vessel for the soul and the soul is eternal
Common Elements
­ Many people emerge from a NDE with a greater appreciation of life
­ They are often more self­confident, better able to cope with the difficulties of life, relationships
become more important, and materialism disappears
­ People who experience NDEs have conversion stories of religious experiences (conversion
experiences)
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­ There are four common elements of NDEs
1. Hear news of one’s death
­ The person who has the NDE hears the news of his/her death
2. Departure from body
3. Encounter significant others
4. Return to body
­ These characteristics vary for NDEs
­ Life review ▯panoramic memory
­ Events in the whole life or selected events of that life, may be in an orderly sequence or may happen
all at once
­ Occurs with conscious control or without any experience
­ Life review may also include visions of a future, may visualize their own death in their future and see
the reactions of friends and relatives in the event of a funeral
­ The encounter with the presence typically relates to the “tunnel experience,” which usually involves
seeing relatives or friends or sensing a religious figure
­ This has been seen as a representation of the higher self, but this has not always been the case
Example ▯an 8 year­old boy reported that he was comforted by two of his family pets during a NDE
­ These encounters with the presence are linked to the return of the earthly life, some say they made the
decision themselves
­ Usually the return indicates unfinished business or responsibilities
­ The majority of NDEs are characterized by feelings of joy, peace, cosmic unity, but some are
distressing and frightening (hellish type) and they may include disturbing and demonic images
­ An initial vision of terror in some instances is followed by resolution, but some report emptiness as
nothing is reolved
­ Albert Heim ▯Swiss geologist and mountain climber
­ First person to gather systematic data on near death experiences
­ He interviewed skiers and climbers who had these experiences
­ The data that was compiled by Heim and reviewed by psychoanalysts and it was revealed that it when
a person’s life is threatened defense mechanisms may come into play
Models of NDEs
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­ Russell Noyes and Roy Kletti
­ Their model is the most comprehensive psychological approach to NDEs
1. Resistance
­ Recognizing the danger, struggling against it, and then finally accepting the surrender
2. Life review
­ The surrender marks this stage
­ The self detaches from its representation, panoramic memories appear and it encompasses a person’s
whole life
3. Transcendence
­ Occurs as there is further detachment from one’s usual existence
­ Replaces limited ego or self­amenity
­ Death is perceived only as a threat